[Amick] The LA Clippers have ‘no plans’ of hosting a fire sale by the trade deadline and will look to add an ‘impact player’ to the duo of Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.
Despite what Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti might be rooting for, team sources say the Clippers have no plans of hosting a fire sale in these next five weeks. With owner Steve Ballmer continuing his eternal mandate to remain competitive, and no first-round pick in 2026 to incentivize a tank job, the Clippers want to dig out of this massive hole they’ve dug for themselves.
If anything, league sources say the Clippers are expected to explore the prospect of adding an impact player around Harden and Kawhi Leonard as a way to revive their season in the second half. They can match a star-player level salary with expiring deals, with the contracts of John Collins (\(26.5 million), Bogdan Bogdanović (\)16 million this season; team option worth \(16 million next season), Brook Lopez (\)8.7 million this season; team option for \(9.1 million next) and Nicolas Batum (\)5.6 million this season; team option for $5.8 million next) all potentially handy on that front.